94 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



ESSENTIALS TO SUCCESS IN GENERAL 

 FRUIT CULTURE 



By ROLAND MORRILL, Pres. Mich. Horticultural Society 



THE conditions in Connecticut are very different from 

 those in Michigan. New England is a rugged place 

 in which to gain a living from the soil. The value of 

 the land is nothing as compared with the vah^e of the man. 

 It all depends upon the man in fruit growing. 



[Here the speaker referred to a certain man in New 

 York state who sold from four acres of apple orchards over 

 $3,000 worth of fruit last season, while his neighbors 

 picked almost nothing from their trees. "It was all in 

 the man." — Ed.] 



Conditions are changed in these days and are con- 

 stantly changing. We cannot do as our forefathers did. 

 Farmers are stubborn "critters," and are not progressive 

 enough. 



The fruit grower must learn from those who have suc- 

 ceeded in the business. Don't start out thinking you 

 "know it all," but be willing to learn from others, without 

 prejudice. 



The apple is the commercial fruit. The best quality 

 of apples is produced in the northern limit of their suc- 

 cessful production. Where is the northern limit? In gen- 

 eral, we may sa}- it is from Lake Michigan to the Atlantic, 

 including New York state and New England. 



We have neglected our apple trees and the business 

 has gone to other sections. We have the best apple mar- 

 kets at our hand, but have allowed them to be controlled 

 by the growers in Missouri with their Ben Davis fruit, 

 which, poor as it is, pays them well. Shall we let it go 

 at this ? We should seize new ideas and make it our 

 business to produce fruit of the first quality, to suit the 

 demands of a fastidious trade. 



We must select, to begin with, the right location and 

 soil. As to the best varieties, it is a hard matter to rule 

 on, conditions vary so much. Cultivation is of the utmost 



